Nail-puller.



Patented May 27, |902. I. W. STEARNS.

N AIL P U L L E R.

(Application led July 27, 1901.)

(No Model.)

l5 lllllllllliHi UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

IRVING YV. STEARNS, OF CENTER BARNSTEAD, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

NAIL-FULLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 700,846-, dated May 27, 1902.

Application led July 27 1901.

To (tu wtont it' may concern:

Be it known that I, IRVING WV. STEARNS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Center Barnstead, in the county o f Belknap and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nail-Fullers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to nail-pullers; and it has for its object to provide an improved device of this class which may be readily and conveniently operated by a claw-hammer or similar device and shall constitute in itself a simple, inexpensive, and relatively small device adapted to be conveniently carried in the pocket or otherwise.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved nail-puller, showing the same in use. Fig. 2 is a detail transverse sectional view taken upon the line :1: x, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the improved nail-puller.

Corresponding parts in all the iigures are denoted by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates my improved nail-puller, which comprises a body member 2, embodying a fixed jaw 3 and a relatively movable jaw 4. The body member 2 also embodies a foot 5, whereby by means of the fixed jaw 3 and said foot 5 the body member 2 may be rested upon the work 6, with the jaws 3 and 4 in position to be engaged with the nail 7. The movable jaw 4 projects above the body member 2, as at 8, and is formed to receive the claw 9 of an ordinary hammer, as illustrated at 10, whereby the head 11 of the hammer may be rested upon the top surface ofthe body member 2, and, with the claw 9 in operative engagement with the upwardly-projecting portion S of the'j aw 4, said hammer may be swung upon the body member 2 as a fulcrum in the same mode of operation as would be employed were the claw 9 directly engaged with the nail to be extracted. This operation, with the jaws 3 and 4 in gripping engagement with the nail, pivotally lnoves the jaws 3 and 4 relative to the work 6 upon the foot 5 as a pivotal support and causes the extraction of the nail from the work. In the preferred form of construction the body member 2 is of integral construction and may be cast, forged, or otherwise formed to embody a central shank 2 and two inwardly-curved end portions 12 and 13, re-

Serial No. 70,194, (No model.)

spectively, which end portions are respectively formed into the fixed jaw 3 and the foot 5. The metal of which thebody member 2 is composed is thickened at a point adjacent the Vfixed jaw 8, as at 14, and is vertically chamber-ed, as at 15, to receive the movable jaw 4, which consists of a single piece of suitable metal 16, which is curved at one end, as at 17, to form the jaw proper, and the other end of which is of sufficient size to project above the body member 2 and is provided upon its opposite side faces with shoulders 18, beneath which the bifurcations of the claw 9 of the hammer may be fitted. The metallic piece 16, which embodies the jaw 4, is pivoted, as at 20, between the cheeks 19, formed by chambering the body member 2, which chamber 15 is ot' proper dimensions to permit of pivotal movement of the metallic piece 16 longitudinally vof the body member to a considerable extent.

The jaws 3 and 4 fare oppositely curved, as illustrated, and are provided, respectively, with pointed operative end portions 2l and 22, whereby they may be operatively forced into the work surrounding the nail, and thus engaged with the head of the latter. The bases of the pointed end portions 21 and 22 of the two jaws and the base of the curved foot'5 or one or more of the same are formed i with suflicient width to support the device in upright position upon the work during the operation of driving the pointed jaws into the latter.

the work until they are beneath the level of the head of the nail and in entering the work tend to approach the nail because of their oppositely and outwardly curved formation. The claw 9 of the hammer is then caused to straddle the u pwardly-proj ecting portion 8 of the movable jaw 4, the bifurcations of said jaw. being fitted beneath the shoulders 18. In this position the top surface of the head 1l of the hammer rests'npon the top surface of the body member 2 of the device, which body member 2 serves as a fulcrum or bearing for the hammer, which is swung upon the IOO lss

same until the nail is started from its position, after which movement a continuation of the swinging movement of the hammer causes the top member 2 to rise pivotally, the jaws 3 and 4 swinging upon the curved foot 5, which latterserves asa pivotal bearing. This pivotal movement of the device is continued until the nail has been extracted from the work.

In the'operation of forcing the pointed ends of the jaws 3 and4into thework the required result may be obtained by subjecting the body member 2 or upwardly-projecting portion 8 of the jaw 4 to the blows of a hammer or other suitable implement. The hammer, which in combination with the nail-puller performs the final extraction of the nail, may thus be used both for this purpose and for the purpose of initially forcing the pointed ends of the jaws of the nail-puller into .the work to grip the same in engagement with the nail. Itis therefore in the use of a hammer only necessary to first employ the hammer-head to drive the jaws into the work and to then engage the bifurcations of the claw of the hammer with the upwardly-projecting portion Sof the jaw 4 and swing the hammer quickly to cause the pivotal elevation of the jaws 3 and 4 and the consequent extraction of the nail.

The entire device is very simple and inexpensive, and in contradistinction to devices of this class as ordinarily constructed the device is of very small bulk and light in weight and may be readily carried by the Workman or other user of the same in the pocket. Being of few and simple parts, the device is possessed of considerable rigidity and is not likely to readily get out of order.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the details of construction and arrangement as herein described and illustrated, as it is manifest that variation and modification may be made in the features/of construction and arrangement in the adaptation of the device to various conditions of use without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention'and improvements. I there- -fore reserve the right to all such variation and modification as properly falls within the scope of my invention and the terms of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. An improved nail-puller, comprising a body member adapted to rest upon the work and embodying a fixed jaw, and a movable jaw carried by said body member in opposil latter may be operatively borne upon saidV body member to grip the jaws in engagement with the nail and to oscillate the entirety to extract the nail.

2. An improved nail-puller, comprisinga body member adapted to rest upon the work and embodying at one end a fixed jaw, and a pivoted jaw carried by said body member in opposition to said fixed jaw and provided with a projecting portion which extends above the body member and is adapted to be engaged by a hammer or other implement whereby the latter may be operatively borne upon said body member to grip thev jaws in engagement with the nail and to oscillate the entirety to extract the nail. l

3. The combination, with anail-puller comprising a body member adapted to rest upon the work and embodying a fixed jaw, and a movable jaw carried by said bodymember in opposition to said fixed jaw and provided with a projecting portion which extends above the body member; of a claw-hammer the bifurcations of the claw of which are caused to straddle said projecting portion of said movable jaw whereby the head of the hammer may be operatively borne upon said body member to grip the jaws in engagement with the nail and to oscillate the entirety to extract the nail.

4. An improved nail-puller, comprising an y y elongated body member adapted to rest upon the work and embodying at its respective ends a fixed jaw and a curved foot, said body member being chambered vertically adjacent to said fixed jaw to form cheeks, and amovable jaw pivoted between said cheeks and arranged in opposition to Asaid fixed jaw, said movable jaw being provided with a projecting portion which extends above the body member and is adapted to be engaged by a hammer or other implement whereby the latter may be operatively borne upon said body member to grip the jaws in engagement with the nail and to oscillatepthe entirety to extract the nail.

In testimony whereof I lhave signed my name in the presence of the subscribing witnesses.

IRVING W. STEARNS.

IOO 

